regarding that Element i had...

…one thing i remember that astonished me given how much cargo room the 2005 Honda Element I once owned had. I read the owner’s manual front to back, as I do with every car I own, and I swear, if memory serves and I’m pretty sure it does in this instance, the maximum cargo carrying capacity INCLUDING passengers was 650 lbs. that’s right. you were not supposed to exceed 650 lbs. of passenger / cargo weight. do you realize how little that is? you put 4 linebackers in the 4 adult-sized seats and you’re over the weight limit by 300 lbs. or more.

the reason i bring this up is because when perusing the 2009 Fit’s owner’s manual, that total weight limit (there is a name for it, but i forget, GVWR? gross vehicle weight restriction or?? anyway) is 850 lbs. that’s right. the Fit is designed to hold more than the Element.

anyway, just thought I’d pass that along.

keep the leaves out...

…it’s the time of year leaves get into your gutters. (at least, it is here in the northern hemisphere). but, this post is about another use for the aluminum gutter guards you see at home improvement stores (in this instance, home depot).

i did this to a honda element i had a while back as somebody on the net posted it back then and it seemed like a good idea and simple insurance. the openings at the lower grille on the front-end of the car are very large. large enough that, conceivably, a rock or other object could enter them and puncture the a/c condensor that resides inside. this could lead to costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered under warranty.

the solution, at least, one solution, is to attach some gutter guard behind the grille. when i did this on the Element I actually painted the aluminum with a black spray epoxy. however, i held the piece up to the grille and decided i actually like the look of the piece as-is. so, i proceeded.

first, hold the piece up in front of the grille. then, mark where you need to trim it. trim to fit.

it was pretty easy to access the spot behind the grille. there are a few bolts and a couple of compression fittings (those plastic pegs that are pressed into holes in panels) to remove. this allows you to drop the plastic pan underneath. then, you can slide the trimmed piece up behind the grille. next i took some zip ties, you can use whatever method you prefer, and tied the piece to the grille from behind. the look is clean and provides me with a little more piece of mind. here’s a shot of it…

iphone 3G sync cable install

i love the fact that the USB hookup in the upper glovebox allows me to connect my iphone 3G and control it with the steering wheel controls and audio system, but i don’t want to close it up in the glovebox each time i want to use it. so, with the original iphone cable being long enough, i planned to run the cable through the dash and exit it out in the back part of the center console…the area behind the cup holders.

this turned out to be simpler than i had planned for. 2 screws had the upper glovebox removed, 2 more had the lower glovebox removed which gave me all of the access i needed to feed the cable through. i removed the snap-in tray that consists of the 2 cupholders and tray in the front center console…it easily snaps out, but it was unnecessary to do so. there is enough clearance between the dash itself and the center console to allow the cable to just slip in between. so, you can see the clearance in the photos…

tinted the windows...properly

i called a couple of places to check pricing and availability to install tint on friday. i went back to where i had the volvo tinted. Tint Design…able to do it that afternoon for $169. i went with the 35% and it is EXACTLY what i wanted. dark enough to provide enough privacy inside, blocks out nearly as much UV rays as the 20% (very dark) and doesn’t look like limo tint at all from the outside. here is a photo of it…

car search begins...

diagnosed with lymphoma and going to be out of work for a while to receive treatment, i decided it was time to sell the 2000 Volvo V70 and get something a bit more exciting, something with character, something with a soul that i could just take out for a drive when i needed to get away for a bit. i looked at several very nice, very sporty cars…BMW 325i, Lexus IS250, Audi A3 (awesome, still crave one) and a Acura TSX.

then, one day, as i was reading through new car reviews at my favorite magazine/website (caranddriver.com) i came across a preview of the new 2009 Honda Fit. they loved the original U.S.-spec Fit that was available in model years 2007-2008 having placed it on their annual 10 Best Cars list. i had sat in a friend’s one day when our softball game was rained out. i was very impressed by the amount of room inside, the quality of the materials/craftsmanship and the stereo with it’s AUX input (wasn’t as commonplace at the time, that i recall).

anyway, after reading the preview i began calling the local Honda dealers ( 3 of them in the Nashville area ). i struck out with the first 2. i was looking for a 5 speed manual with the sport package. these first 2 dealers had a few each in stock, but every one was a automatic transmission. then, the 3rd dealer had a single one in stock…a Sport package, 5 speed in “Storm Silver Metallic” with the navigation package (includes “Vehicle Stability Assist - VSA” which is Honda-speak for electronic stability control). i have never thought navgiation systems in cars were much of a necessity and i really didn’t have much of a desire to shell out $1850 extra for one now, but given it was the only one they had and it met all of my other criteria I told the salesperson I’d be right down.

when i got there i was told it actually arrived on the delivery truck that morning and still needed to be prepped before i could test drive it. i did get to see it on the lot before the prepping and i was able to actually help tear the plastic off of the seats and gain some insight from the service person doing the prep work as to what all is involved. he screwed the antenna to the roof of the car, installed fuses, added washer fluid, topped off the brake fluid, etc. i was told to come back in an hour and a half and it would be ready. initial impression; what a charismatic little car. it reminded me of all of the small and stylish hatchbacks you see running around cities in europe.